Eugene Volokh and Jane Bambauer examine the groundbreaking Robby Starbuck v. Google case, one of the first major defamation lawsuits arising from generative AI "hallucinations." They explore whether AI-generated falsehoods can constitute libel, why Section 230 offers no protection for AI-generated content, and how traditional defamation law applies when an AI invents damaging allegations about a real person. The conversation also covers the legal standards for actual malice, the role of discovery, Delaware's unusually permissive pleading rules, and whether these lawsuits could reshape the future of AI development—or expose AI companies to a wave of costly litigation. If AI can invent facts, who should bear the responsibility? This episode tackles one of the most important legal questions facing artificial intelligence today.
Recorded on July 30, 2026.
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Many people have appropriately criticized President Trump’s promise to give $5,000 to every American adult if the voters elect enough Senators and House members to keep Republican control of each chamber.
September 18, 2026
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On the latest episode of GoodFellows, senior fellows John Cochrane, H.R. McMaster, and Niall Ferguson, moderated as always by distinguished policy fellow Bill Whalen, speak with their Hoover colleague Senior Fellow Joshua Rauh about California’s billionaire wealth tax ballot measure.
September 19, 2026
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Far-right nationalist populist parties are making the running everywhere from Washington to Warsaw. So why be so alarmed about a little regional electoral victory for one such party, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), in one federal state, Saxony-Anhalt? “Because it’s Germany!” is the almost instinctive answer in many heads around the world.
September 19, 2026
